


How To Avoid Your Ex

by AlexaNDYE



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:37:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6576007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexaNDYE/pseuds/AlexaNDYE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My friend dragged me to this party and I just saw my ex, quick make out with me, I'll pay you" College AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	How To Avoid Your Ex

**Author's Note:**

> For sexydowney on tumblr

Tony froze at the sight of his ex entering the threshold of the very loud and very obnoxious college frat house party. He tapped Rhodey on the shoulder, and when his best friend didn’t respond the tap on the shoulder turned into a full on shove that almost tipped Rhodey’s drink on the girl in front of him.

 

“What the hell, Tony?” Rhodey growled as he turned to face him. “What the hell is your problem?” The nice girl he was talking to fled, much to Rhodey’s disappointment.

 

“It’s her. She’s here. Christy? Crystal? Cameron? Shit—I don’t even know her name,” Tony panicked. “Quick, hide me.”

 

Rhodey raised his eyes. He gazed towards the door and saw Christine sauntering through the crowd of bodies that grinded and rubbed against each other. “You’re on your own pal. Your fault for breaking up with her through a text.”

 

“You’re supposed to be my friend, Rhodey,” Tony said through his teeth.

 

“Girls are a whole other concept, my friend,” he replied before he sipped his drink and took a step to the side to avoid the imminent confrontation between the two exes.

 

Tony looked at Christine and ran his hand through his hair in panic. He estimated the time it took for his ex to reach him from where she was standing. He calculated an average of four seconds based on her speed. He had to think quick. He could run to the kitchen and go out through the backyard, or he could excuse himself to go to the bathroom and cower in there until she leaves. He could also just confront her and have the most awkward conversation known to man. No. Fuck that. He didn’t want to talk to her. It was already awkward enough that they were in the same vicinity.

 

A flash of red passed by him, and through the haze of his clouded judgment and panicked state, he grabbed the redhead by the shoulders and kissed her.

 

He didn’t think to ask for her name, or ask if it was okay to kiss her. He just did it, and boy, did he regret it.

 

The redhead, confused and dazed at first, pushed off of him.

 

“What the fuck!?” she gasped and screamed at him.

 

Tony couldn’t react fast enough and soon felt a painful burn on his cheek. The slap seemed to bounce off the walls as its audible stinger caused quite the scene. Everyone stopped what they were doing; the music stopped, people turned their heads, and everyone’s eyes were on Tony.

 

“Whoa, Pepper, are you okay?” Nat asked as she rushed to her friend.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“What happened?” Peggy asked.

 

Maya came up beside Pepper as the redhead explained.

 

“He fucking what?” Nat growled. Her head whipped around to face Tony, and Tony’s heart pounded in his chest. It was like her glare alone was stabbing him in the chest. It was more terrifying than Obadiah, his father, and his mother all at once. The fiery short-haired redhead stomped towards him with balled fists at her side.

 

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” Tony stammered. “Wait, I can explain—I didn’t mean to—I mean—I did, but I—“

 

Without warning, Nat punched Tony in the face. He stumbled backwards into the wall with a grunt.

 

“C’mon, let’s go,” Nat said to her friends as they squeezed through the silent crowd that couldn’t believe what they just witnessed.

 

“Wait, Nat, where are you going?” Bucky called after her, but the girls were already out the door.

 

“Damn, Tony, what’d you do?” Steve asked as he came up beside him.

 

“Something pretty bad if it pissed Nat off,” Bucky replied with a lopsided frown.

 

“This is Tony we’re talking about, you know,” Rhodey pointed out.

 

“Yeah, thanks guys. I’m fine. I didn’t get punched in the face or anything. Really. I’m great,” Tony said sarcastically as he held his swollen cheek. What was worse was the sound of a notable giggle from his ex that passed him.

 

\---

 

A week and a half passed since that incident.

 

Tony was walking down the hill of the college campus when he saw a familiar redhead. It was the same redhead he kissed at the party. She was in line, buying coffee from one of the campus vendors.

 

Pepper fished a couple dollars from her wallet and was about to hand it to the cashier until a hand blocked her.

 

“I got it,” Tony said as he handed the cashier his money.

 

Pepper stared at him, bewildered by his presence.

 

Tony got the change back and the two started walking down the hill.

 

“Don’t remember me?” Tony asked in amusement.

 

“Oh, trust me, I do.” Pepper smirked. “The guy that kissed me and then felt the wrath of Natasha Romanoff. Hard not to remember.”

 

Tony scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly. “Yeah.”

 

“Do you always do that?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Kiss girls without asking?”

 

“No—I mean, I was just trying to avoid my ex at that party,” Tony confessed.

 

“By kissing another girl? You have interesting ways of avoiding people.” Pepper sipped on her coffee. She sounded more amused than annoyed at him. Tony was grateful that she wasn’t angry, or at least vengeful, for what happened.

 

“So, you’re okay with what happened?”

 

“At first, no, but then I remembered that Nat gave you the right hook, so I figured I’d have to take pity on you.”

 

Tony smirked and sarcastically added, “Gee, thanks.” He paused to look around. “Your friends aren’t around, right? I’d hate to get yelled at again.”

 

Pepper laughed, and reassured him, “They’re in class right now. You’re safe.”

 

“Phew,” he said with a sigh of relief. “The last thing I want to do is ice my cheek again.”

 

“I take it you learned your lesson, so next time, you’ll think twice when you need to avoid your ex again.”

 

“Trust me, I’m more thankful it was you I kissed and not Nat.”

 

“If you kissed Nat, I’m pretty sure Bucky would’ve already dragged your body to the dumpster.”

 

“Point made,” Tony said with a nervous laugh.

 

The two walked towards the library talking about whatever came to their minds. They talked for over an hour before Tony realized who was approaching them. Nat, with her death-glare, and Peggy, with a raised eyebrow, walked towards the two, utterly confused at the sight. Pepper had to wave off Nat’s impending attack and convince her that Tony wasn’t as bad as she initially thought.

 

Tony found himself hanging around Pepper more and more as time went by. Nat’s distaste for the guy was obvious, but she eventually got used to him. Peggy and Maya teased Pepper about Tony’s obvious flirtatious acts even though the redhead always denied them.

 

It took a couple months for Pepper to play with the idea of dating Tony, and it took five tries for her to finally say yes to a date.

 

Tony took Pepper to her favorite Italian restaurant and then to one of the most famous ice cream shops. The two shared a scoop of mint chocolate ice cream as they walked through a nearby park.

 

Tony didn’t realize how much of an effect Pepper had on him until after their date when he realized he had been standing outside of her dorm building like a lovesick puppy with the dopiest grin on his face.


End file.
